My Story - Part 1 (page 2)

LunaFing

Hi and welcome to JWD! I really enjoyed reading your post and can't wait to read part 2.

Jeremy C

My question is: Are you refering specifically to his Crisis of Conscience and In Search of ChristianFreedom? Or are you referring to other books? I ask this question because, to my knowledge, witnesses are not even supposed to touch such books, never mind buy a copy.

I was referring to Crisis of Conscience. From what I have heard anecdotally, many Witnesses who had read his expose, tried to mail copies of it to other JW friends and relatives. There were also several other ex-Bethelites (such as Randy Watters) who were sending tracts out about the Bethel events to Witnesses around the country. Shortly after this, David Reed was another one who began sending anonymous newsletters to Witnesses. I’m sure that reports of this phenomenon began to filter through the traveling overseers, and on up into the Service Department.

Around the time of the release of COC, very stern Watchtower articles were printed which admonished friends to immediately throw away any apostate material that came to them in the mail. They didn’t name Franz specifically, but I’m sure they had him in mind. On Randy Watters’ website, he has a picture from one of those Watchtower study articles that shows a sister throwing away "apostate" material. Randy - using some photoshop doctoring, humorously superimposed Ray Franz’s book into the picture. My little joke was in reference to all of this organizational hand-wringing that was going on.

I have another question. As I remember, that blue Aid To Bible Understanding was replaced by another volume. Do you know the reason for this replacement? Was it because Franz had made such a significant contribution to the writing/editiing of the "Aid" book?

To my knowledge, some of Ray Franz's contributions have been retained in the new Insight On The Scriptures. I think that the Aid book's replacement was mostly due to a desire to streamline the volume with more comprehensive material and artwork. At least, that is my opinion.

happehanna

Welcome to JWD Jeremy!

You will be a great asset for sure.

Awakened at Gilead

I enjoyed your post Jeremy C and I can relate to much of it. I too served at Bethel, although it must have been before you, since I am a few years younger than you and I left when you were 17 or 18.

I look forward to hearing the rest of the story...

A@G

Casper

Welcome to JWD... Jeremy

Thanks so much for sharing your story, we look forward to the next part.

Cas

Galileo

I think that the Aid book's replacement was mostly due to a desire to streamline the volume with more comprehensive material and artwork.

Actually, one of the major changes between the Aid & Insight books was to take out almost the entire section on 607 B.C.E. and the evidence (or more precisely the lack thereof) that supported it. Here is a quote from Crisis of Conscience:

Months of research were spent on this one subject of "Chronology" and it resulted in the longest article in the Aid publication. Much of the time was spent endeavoring to find some proof, some backing in history, for the 607 B.C.E. date so crucial to our calculations for 1914. Charles Ploeger, a member of the headquarters staff, was at the time serving as a secretary for me and he searched through the libraries of the New York city area for anything that might substantiate that date historically.
WE FOUND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN SUPPORT OF 607 B.C.E."
In order to be as honest as possible, and still argue for the Society's position, instead of outright lying Ray Franz tried to discredit the mountain of evidence for 586-587 B.C.E:
Without 607 B.C.E. the crucial date of 1914 would be placed in question. I took the view that the historical evidence was likely defective and argued that was in the Aid book.
In the Insight book, they basically just cut out virtually any reference that the date is in question at all. This must have been a major motivation for creating the Insight books, as the original section on 607 B.C.E. in the Aid book was the longest single entry.

Mickey mouse

Hello and welcome! LOL at the Grateful Dead groupies. That is my abiding memory of apostates at conventions way back when.

You must be a similar age to me, I remember smurfgate well.

I just read Steve Hassan's book and it has affected me deeply. In many ways more than even Crisis of Conscience.

Will look forward to your next installment.

Mickey.

Dagney

Welcome Jeremy! Thank you for sharing your story. Very nicely done. I look forward to the rest of your story.

Looks like our paths might have crossed at Dodger, in the stairwells or at Norco . Yep, those were the days!

Welcome again and I wish you continued success in your journey.

sspo

Thanks Jeremy,

Looking forward to chap.2

odie67

The smurfs....

I had to spend my christmas break at a cousins house (non-JW) and she had a life sized smurf in the room where i had to sleep. I was terrified. But for some reason I didnt say anything i figured they would laugh at me. i expected it to move in the middle of the night. after a couple of nights i realized that the whole smurf thing was stupid.

My Story - Part 1

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